A New Knight
by crafty jack rabbit
Summary: This story has been place permanently on hiatus. Currently developing a similar story involving the Bat Family.
1. The Return of Jason Todd

Disclaimer: I don't own them but I sure do love 'em.

**Chapter 1: The Return of Jason Todd**

Batman perched on a gargoyle overlooking the narrow streets of Gotham. His body created a soft silhouette against the light-polluted night sky. It was another quiet night and he was very thankful for it. Order in Gotham had been restored about a month ago with the arrest of Black Mask. The gang that he had created quickly disbanded into multiple factions. Batman was able to apprehend most of them after the confusion caused by Black Mask's fall.

By no means was Gotham rid of crime, but this was a very good month for Batman. No major criminals had escaped from Arkham, the police was working fine without him, and the media was no longer focused on the Wayne family, particularly Vicki Vale. It seemed that Tim's fake assassination attempt had worked. Over a month ago, with the help of fellow Teen Titan Miss Martian, Tim was able dissuade Vicki Vale from pursuing her investigation of the Wayne family, or at least it seemed so. This plan also led to an arrest of Scarab.

Life was good for the new Batman. Life was good for Dick Grayson. After Bruce died, it had been nothing but an uphill battle to keep Gotham safe. At first, he refused to accept responsibility, and Gotham was thrown into chaos. With the help of the Network, Dick managed to regain control of the city, but it did not mean he was forgiven for his sins. Jason Todd was right about his failures to act and the city paid for it, but not anymore. Dick was determined to prove that he was worthy of the Cowl. He spent almost 10 hours a night patrolling the city in the past month, attracting the attention of Alfred and Barbara. They asked him to stop, but he wouldn't. Dick was going to be different. He had to be.

"Batman?" Oracle's voice came through his earbud.

"What is it Oracle?" Batman replied, holding his hand to his right ear.

"A few hours ago, a girl by the name of Michelle Scott was kidnapped. By listening in to the calls with the police, I managed to put a trace on the kidnappers."

"I hoped you're calling me to tell me it worked."

"Of course it did. She's in a warehouse in Gotham Harbor, give or take a mile."

"A mile?"

"The call only lasted for 15 seconds, I didn't have much time."

"Sorry... I'm on the way."

"I already sent Batgirl and Red Robin ahead of you."

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." Batman stood up from his perch and jumped off the gargoyle. Gravity took control of his descent and quickly picked up speed. The cold air made his joints ache. Maybe he had been patrolling for too long, but he wasn't going to stop, he couldn't. Before he reached the ground, he opened his arms and deployed his cape. Wings formed along his arms and back and caught the wind, drastically slowing his descent. The change in velocity forced his arms back, straining his shoulders but he wasn't going to stop.

Batman landed firmly on top of the Batmobile and opened the top. The car started up once the cockpit closed. He changed gears and stomped on the gas pedal. The Batmobile zoomed down the empty streets of Gotham towards Gotham Harbor. The streets were narrow, but the lack of pedestrians and vehicles made his drive much easier and more comfortable. He couldn't help but admire the leather interior of the Batmobile. Bruce had gone all out when it had blown up for the hundredth time and he wasn't pulling any punches with the new modifications. However, Dick's favorite upgrade on the Batmobile was concussion plating.

Lights and sirens went off when the computer detected an incoming projectile: a stinger. A damn stinger. A damn stinger was shot at the Batmobile. Unfortunately, Batman was not as fast as the computer. He banked right but the rocket still made contact with the left side of the Batmobile. The explosion caused Batman to drive into a small store. He searched frantically for the latch and managed to open the cockpit. Rubble and dust fell into the vehicle when it opened. The leather interior was now ruined.

The store was small and it was completely destroyed. Batman made a mental note to write a check to the owner and slowly looked for his attacker from inside the building. It was undeniably a stinger and only one person used them. It was obvious.

"Hello, Dick." Red Hood called out from the rooftops of the buildings towering over him.

"Jason." Batman shouted when he left the building and looked up at him from the streets. He pulled out his grapple gun and fired the hook into the building next to Hood. When the hook made contact, Batman was quickly dragged up the wire to the roof.

"It's been a while." Hood laughed when Batman reached the top.

"I knew you didn't die," Batman muttered when he walked to the edge of the building.

"Of course, you wouldn't be able to live with the guilt."

"Don't worry, I'm filled with guilt, but none of it about you."

"Really? None? Well then, I feel quite unappreciated."

"What do you want, Jason?"

"What do I want? Well, we know what I want."

"And what is that?"

"That's easy. You dead and Bruce's legacy," Hood jumped across the opening between the buildings and tackled Batman. While the chest plate took the brunt of Hood's shoulder, it didn't stop the air from being knocked out of him. It was clumsy and he knew it. Batman should have been on guard, but he wasn't. He allowed his emotions to take control and dropped his guard. Another mistake, but he hoped not to regret it. The floor of the roof was hard, but it gave him a chance to counter Hood's attack. Batman squeezed his legs under Hood's abdomen and pushed off, sending Hood into the air.

"You'll never wear the Cowl again," Batman said as he stood up.

"That's okay," Hood replied. "I don't need to be Batman to save Gotham."

"That's funny." Batman snorted.

"What's funny?"

"It's funny that you think what you're doing is saving Gotham." It was Jason Todd that helped Black Mask take power of Gotham's crime world after Bruce's death. Even though he wasn't directly working for Black Mask, his "interventions" distracted Dick from what was really happening. Dick didn't have to just bring order back to the streets, but he had to stop an imposter from soiling Bruce's legacy. Even though Dick was successful at stopping both, he missed the rise of a new Black Mask.

"Oh, Dick, you're not thinking about the _big_ picture? You need to introduce a little chaos to gain order."

Hood charged at Batman once again, but this time Batman was ready. His assault was quickly faltered with a few blocks and went on the offensive. First, a right hook to the face, which was easily blocked, and followed by a left cross to the chest that was dodged. Then Batman spun around to perform a roundhouse kick that connected with Hood's side. Hood collapsed in pain but quickly rolled to avoid Batman's right elbow.

"Then what's the big picture, Jason?" Batman asked, allowing Hood to pick himself up.

"I can't tell you," Hood muttered. He lifted up the bottom part of his mask and spat some blood. "That was a nice kick, Dick. You almost broke my ribs, that'll leave a bruise. I expected you to hold back."

"I did hold back," Batman responded as he took a step closer to Hood. "I won't next time if you don't tell me what you have planned."

"Well, I can't have fun if you're not trying. But don't worry, the fun will be starting very soon." Hood pulled a remote detonator from his pocket and pressed the trigger.


	2. Help from the Cat

**Chapter 2: Help from the Cat**

Red Robin counted six guards outside of the warehouse. It was an old building, made of rusted metal standing atop of mold-infested wood. The harbor had not age well over the years and the city did nothing to help maintain it over the years. It was the perfect place to hide a kidnapped girl.

The guards didn't appear to be too dangerous. They were obviously hired guns right off the street in some dark alley. They weren't trained or worked well as a team. Four of them huddled around the main door of the warehouse, which was closed and probably locked. The other two guards simply walked back and forth, pretending to be working. It would be easy to take out these guards, but he had to make sure to do it quietly.

"So," Batgirl whispered loudly in his ear. "What's the plan?" Robin flinched from her interruption. She didn't scare him or at least he'd never admit it. The break from concentration was a little surprising. It was their third mission together in the past month, and things weren't going well. Over the past few weeks, the difference between their methods and styles was causing much conflict.

Robin wanted to think things through and every action was deliberate, while Batgirl preferred to act on the situation with little thought. This annoyed him of course, but he couldn't confront her about it without starting a fight. Every time he tried to give her advice, she threw back into his face. It was a no-win situation. And he loved these situations. Really.

"Stephanie," Robin muttered.

"What?" she asked. "And stop calling me Stephanie when we're on the job."

"Fine, Batgirl," Robin corrected himself. "Stop whispering so loudly in my ear. They can't hear us, you can talk normal." Batgirl grimaced and sat back onto the cargo container they were resting on.

"So, we going to take action soon?" she asked again impatiently.

"We need a plan," Robin replied angrily.

"Of course we need a plan, I'll take the four guys near the door and you take out the other two?" Robin noticed she was searching for something in utility belt. This wasn't good. It was like watching a train wreck occur and not having the power to stop it.

"No, that is not a plan. We need to figure out how to disarm them without notifying the others inside."

"That's easy." Batgirl pulled out three small, gray spheres out of her belt. Smoke bombs. Not good. "See you at the bottom." She smiled brightly at him. Her eyes, her smile, her face hidden beneath the mask. He was mesmerized and he failed to stop her. Batgirl took a dive off the container down towards the guards below them, 30 feet below them. She threw the smoke bombs and pulled out her grapple gun and fired it.

The hook connected to the chain hanging above him that was attached to the cargo container. The wire tightened, immediately stopping her descent a few feet above the guards. Smoke erupted instantaneously from the bombs when they struck the ground. The guards started coughing and collapsing when the smoke went into their lungs.

Batgirl disconnected the wire and took action. Robin cursed himself for letting her get the better of him. He pulled out two carabiners that were tied together and clipped it onto the wire. With his custom brake, he was able to descend to the ground without his cape or grappler.

Batgirl managed to disarm one of the guards when Robin took his leap off the container. The man was swinging his arms wildly, hoping to make some contact with his foe. Batgirl stood back for a second to admire her work. The inhaler around her mouth hid the grin on her face. She ducked and gave the wild man a left jab to the abdomen and right uppercut to the jaw. The crack of breaking bones signaled to her that he was down.

A man came out of the shadows, hoping to take Batgirl off guard. However, the man didn't know she had someone covering her back. Robin opened his legs slightly so his feet would land on the guard's shoulders. He couldn't help but cringe when he heard the man's collar bones crack. While it wasn't a clean break, it didn't mean it hurt any less. The man didn't even yell, he merely collapsed onto the ground.

"Are you out of your mind?" Robin called out to her as he dodged a fist that was aimed for his head. The man wasn't fighting any better than the others. With a few blocks, Robin had an opening to the man's chest and stomach. Four punches. That's all it took for Robin to take the man down. It was purely instinct, two to the chest and two to the stomach.

"It's working, isn't it?" Batgirl replied. She grabbed her attackers arm and spun her legs into the air, wrapping them around his head and neck. With a quick twist, Batgirl pulled the man down and slammed his back into the wood planks. She pulled the man's arm into her body, dislocating it.

"That's not the point." The fight was now under control. The smoke was a good cover and distraction, but he wouldn't admit it. He couldn't feed her recklessness. While the smoke was a good diversion, they needed their assault to be stealthier. The smoke disoriented them but the guards might fire their guns at any moment out of fear.

Robin pulled out a sling and threw it at one of the remaining guards charging at him. The sling made contact with the man's shin and wrapped up the lower half of his body, causing him to fall. As he fell, Robin quickly closed the distance between them and elbowed the man in the face. He was unconscious before he made contact with the ground.

Robin turned around and saw the last guard taking aim at Batgirl with his rifle. It was the worst-case scenario becoming a reality. The thug had managed to regain most of his composure and senses. His clothes were ruffled, probably from rolling on the ground. His breathing was heavy due to the smoke still in his lunges. And his eyes were red and filled with tears. Despite his pain, he could still hold his gun and aim it at Batgirl. Robin charged at him.

Batgirl turned around and looked down the barrel of the gun into her attacker's eyes. She knew what was happening and she couldn't stop him. Her eyes turned to Robin while her right arm pulled out a closed batarang from her belt. Robin and her eyes connected for a moment and all that needed to be said between them was said. He had failed to keep her safe. Another loved one was going to die.

In that instance, a black whip wrapped around the barrel of his rifle before he could pull the trigger. With a quick tug, the rifle was ripped out of the man's hands. This all happened just moments before the batarang made contact with the guard's trigger hand. It drew blood. The man tried to scream in agony but was quickly dispatched by Robin.

"That was a close one," a woman's voice purred. It was deep, it was seductive, and it gave Robin the goose bumps. Catwoman appeared out of the shadows and greeted the young duo.

"Thanks, Selina," Robin took a deep breath as he removed his inhaler. All of this action was not good for the young man. His life as Tim Drake was getting harder and harder, and Batgirl's reckless mistakes weren't helping.

"Oh, you're welcome. Who's the newbie?" She stood next to Robin, looking up and down at Batgirl, examining her.

"Newbie?" Batgirl hissed, she took a step forward.

"Please," Selina put her hand in the air. "You wouldn't even last a second in a _real_ catfight."

"You should thank her," Robin interrupted.

"Don't worry, Robin," Selina smiled. "I don't need the gratitude from this brat." Batgirl took another step.

"Stephanie, please," Robin urged her. Batgirl looked at him and then at Catwoman.

"Fine." Batgirl muttered and relaxed her body.

"Well," Catwoman stretched her arms and legs. Robin couldn't help but admire the older woman's body. He wasn't into that kind of thing, or at least he didn't think he was. But he couldn't help it: Catwoman was a beautiful person with a more beautiful body. Even though Batgirl was cute in her own way, Catwoman, well, she was a real woman. "Shall we get going to the roof?" Robin took a moment to catch himself and nodded in agreement.

When Robin took his first step on the roof, he regretted his decision when his foot made contact. It was in much worse condition than he thought it was. The metal roofing was falling apart and he wasn't sure if it was going to hold his weight.

"What's wrong?" Catwoman asked as she gracefully walked across a metal beam. Each step she took was smooth and deliberate. No wonder why she was so good at being a cat burglar. Robin followed her lead and attempted to make his way across the roof to the windows.

Catwoman sat to next to him. She was close, too close. Her leather suit was just inches away from his body, but he fought the urge to make contact. Then he got a quick sniff of her perfume. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was amazing.

"You finished?" Catwoman asked playfully.

"What?" Robin was brought back to reality.

"You finished sniffing me?" She repeated.

"You sniffed what?" Batgirl's voice came over the comms. Robin instinctively titled his head when he received some feedback from the earbud.

"Nothing, nothing," Robin assured them. "You find the circuit breakers yet?" He looked at Catwoman. She winked at him and all he could think of was smile, awkwardly.

"Yes," Batgirl replied. "Give me a minute to get the box open. The thing is like a thousand years old." Robin took this moment to case the warehouse from the skylight. There were six of them: two guards on the catwalks above and four on the floor patrolling the walls. It seemed the scuffle outside went unnoticed. This was good.

Then he saw the girl in the middle of the warehouse tied to a chair and blindfolded: typical kidnap methods and restraints. No bombs attached to the chair. She wasn't hanging over a vat of toxic waste. It was boring and uncreative. Maybe he was doing this for too long when the most dangerous of situations came under scrutiny for not being dangerous enough.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose into the air. He rubbed the cold sweat from his chin. His eyes zoned in on the mastermind behind the whole operation. Robin would rather have the girl hanging over a vat of toxic waste than face him.

"What?" Catwoman teased. Thinking of a way to seduce me?

"It's Dent," Robin replied. Catwoman froze and leaned forward to get a better look into the warehouse.

It was Two-Face. The man that relied on random chance to drive his chaos was the leader of this charade. It wasn't possible. Two-Face wasn't the type of villain to hide out in the middle of nowhere with men such as these. Maybe he was trying to re-establish his status as a super villain among the scum of Gotham. He had lost everything to the new Black Mask and seemed he was determined to get it all back, but this wasn't going to work. There must have been someone else behind the curtain pulling the strings, but who could control Two-Face?

"Wait, I thought he was gone," Batgirl stated the obvious, but they were all thinking it.

"Well, now he's back," Robin answered.

"What's the plan then?" Catwoman asked. "Should I lurk in the shadows and take my chance when there's an opening. Then you and your girlfriend can take out his goons." Both Robin glared at her. Catwoman could read his anger and annoyance without even looking at him.

"We're not dating." Robin corrected her.

"Ew," Batgirl replied over the comms.

"Wait. Ew?" He replied to his former flame in disbelief. "Ew?"

"I'm sorry," she defended. "It was a reflex."

"So you're saying the first thing that comes to mind when you think about me is disgust?"

"No, it was just. I don't know. You're like a brother to me… Wait, no. That didn't come out right."

"Can we just break through the window and take out the bad guys?" Catwoman asked as she started to examine the glass. It was thin and would break easily.

"Not just yet," Robin replied. It was like working with an older Batgirl. "You get the box open yet?"

"Yes."

Robin pulled out thin strands of plastique from his belt and pressed it against the edges of the window. Then he pulled out a small detonator and stepped back, Catwoman followed his lead.

"You take out the guys on the catwalk, I'll get the rest," Robin instructed her.

"Oh, cocky much?" Catwoman smiled.

"Just do it," Robin commanded.

"Okay, then," Catwoman replied respectively.

"Now," Robin muttered. When the lights in the warehouse went out, Robin pressed the button. There was a small flash and the skylight fell into the building. Robin and Catwoman jumped into the hole and fell into the building.

Catwoman used her whip to swing onto the catwalk and took out one of the guards. He went down fast and quiet, he didn't even make a sound. The second guard saw her though and started to fire. Some of the moonlight made its way into the warehouse and revealed her position. Catwoman moved fast to dodge the bullets and took cover in the shadows.

The man started to panic and started to fire blindly into the darkness. Her whip came out of the darkness and wrapped out his neck. He dropped the gun and tried to loosen the whip. Catwoman ran out of the shadows and kneed the man in the face, knocking him out.

When Robin landed on the floor he turned on his night vision. He could perfectly see the guard standing with his back to him. Robin crept quietly and punched him in the side. The man screamed in pain and was quickly dispatched. The other guards started to fire the guns randomly, hoping to hit him or Catwoman.

"Stop shooting you idiots," Two-Face shouted over the gunfire. Robin turned to his left and saw him and the girl. This was his chance and he was taking it. He ran straight for them, hoping to catch Two-Face off guard. It didn't work. Two-Face quickly turned towards Robin and fired his revolver. The bullet grazed his right leg, causing him to collapse on the ground.

"Damn it," Robin muttered and looked at his leg, it was bleeding. Nothing serious, but it worked to stop him.

"Well, well," Two-Face walked up to him. "I see you." He tapped the goggles he was wearing and smiled. His right hand pointed his revolver at Robin's head and his left hand played with his coin on chance. "Do you believe in luck?" With a flip of his thumb, the coin went into the air.

Robin watched carefully as the coin made its descent. This was his chance. He quickly pulled out his baton and took a swing at Two-Face's legs. The man collapsed onto the ground in pain.

"Not when I don't need it," Robin replied when he stood up. He whacked the revolver out of Two-Face's hand and picked up his coin. "But I guess luck was on my side anyways." When the lights turned back on, Robin turned off the night vision. Two-Face screamed in agony when the light filled his goggles, blinding him for a moment.

"The rest are down," Batgirl informed him through the comms. Catwoman dropped from the catwalk and checked on the girl.

"Why, Dent?" Robin asked. "Why did you do this? You knew they weren't going to pay the ransom."

"Of course I knew they weren't going to pay," Two-Face smiled when he removed his goggles. He squinted at Robin, allowing his eye to adjust.

"Then why?" Robin dropped plastic ties onto the floor.

"Look at me," Two-Face snarled when he grabbed the ties and wrapped them around his wrists. "This was the only way to get back into the game. He told me this was the only way."

"Who?" Robin grabbed the collar of his jacket. Two-Face looked into Robin's eyes and started to laugh.

"You'll know soon enough, Red."


	3. Insurance Won't Cover the Damages

**Chapter 3: Insurance Won't Cover the Damages**

The only thing Batman could breath in was smoke. The burning sensation in his lungs was all his body could register at the moment. He carefully opened his eyes and took in the destruction that surrounded him. Most of the building had collapsed; Hood must have planted several bombs throughout the building to cause this kind of damage. He was impressed, a little, but not really.

"Damn it," Batman muttered as he felt the sensation in his legs and arms return. He rolled on to his stomach and used his elbows and knees to prop himself up. Nothing was broken, but a rib or two were cracked. He would have to make due and push forward, because Hood was still out there. His former friend was probably watching him right now, waiting to strike.

Batman then noticed the worst of the damage caused by Hood's bombs. About 50 feet from his current location, he saw a giant piece of black metal protruding out of the concrete and brick mounds. He grimaced at the thought of having to rebuild the Batmobile. Who cared about the expensive leather interior or the durable concussion plating? Damian would never let it go, nor would Alfred. But he was sure of one thing: the next Batmobile was going to be building proof.

"I'm sorry about the Batmobile," Hood laughed. "I sure coveted Bruce's favorite toy. I could only imagine what you're feeling right now. The masked villain was standing on one of the floors that hadn't collapsed from the explosion. Batman forced himself up and carefully turned to face him.

"You know," Batman spat blood, "The leather interior was one of a kind. And you know how much it'll cost to replace it?" The pain from his cracked ribs was excruciating, but he had to fight through it, literally. If he kept his movements tight and close, he just might be able to stay conscious. He wasn't going to catch Hood, not in his current condition, but Batman had to make sure he wasn't going to lose either. There was only one thing he could do. His left hand moved slowly behind his back and searched for a plastique carefully. Due to the overcast and the flickering shadows created by the small fires, Batman was able to hide his actions.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you're insurance will be able to pay for it." Hood dropped from the floor onto the next level below him. Batman froze: he found what he needed.

"Doubt it, but you can expect an estimate within the next five to seven business days," Batman when he pulled out a small ball of explosive from his pouch.

"Well, I'm sure your trust fund will cover the damages then."

Batman didn't waste anymore time and threw the explosive. Hood side stepped it and watched it land on the wall behind him.

"Are you serious? How could you miss?" Hood laughed. Batman smiled and pressed his own detonator. The small plastique beeped and exploded violently, Damian developed a new explosive compound. Maybe he spent a little too much time in the lab. While Hood was not caught in the explosion, it did send him flying into the air. There wasn't much fire as there was boom. The shockwave from the blast even caused Batman to lose his balance for a second, followed by the rest of the building.

Hood sailed over Batman and landed on one of the mounds of rubble and concrete covering the Batmobile. He rolled up immediately and charged at Batman. His left hand was pressed against his abdomen, which was bleeding, while his right wielded a big knife. It wasn't big but gigantic. Where could he hold such a thing?

There was a small shimmer when the light from the fires reflected off it, then it was lost in the shadows with the remainder of Hood. Batman was in no condition to catch Hood's right hand and showoff, so he did the next best thing. Before Hood's knife could make contact with Batman's flesh, he took a step back when Hood's arm completed its swing. There was a moment of intense silence between them. A small void separated them.

It was then closed between when Batman grabbed Hood by the shoulders. Time seemed to slow down as both men registered what was happening. Batman was the first to react. Since the lower half of his body was in no condition to move, he did the next bad thing. With a quick motion of his neck, Batman landed a firm head butt against Hood's face.

"Son of a—" Hood grunted as he fell backward. The impact from the small steel plate that was laced into Batman's mask was quiet effective. Alfred had convinced him to put it between the seams of the mask to protect his head from bullets. While this was not the intention of Alfred's addition, it worked. Hood landed on the ground, his right hand over his mouth. He lifted the bottom of his mask slightly and spit a mouthful of blood.

"Thank you, Alfred," Batman muttered as he stepped towards Hood. He slowly walked over to Hood and leaned forward. "Give up." He grabbed him by the collar and tugged. Hood took a few seconds to register the statement and started laughing. Batman raised his right fist into the air slowly and brought it down hard. Hood merely grunted when his hand made contact.

"Give up?" Hood chuckled through the blood. "What the hell are you wearing, anyways?"

"Steel plate," Batman replied as he released him.

"Steel plate? What? You think I'd shoot you in the head? That's no fun at all, Dick." Hood sat up and rested on his hands, he wasn't going anywhere just yet.

"I know you wouldn't," Batman replied when he started to remove some rubble that lay atop of the remnants of the Batmobile. "But that doesn't stop the other criminals out there." He found a latch beneath the rubble, wrapped his bloody fingers around it, and painfully pulled upward. There was a loud release and the ground started to move as the cockpit opened. Batman searched carefully and pulled out a small box.

"That's why you shouldn't give them the opportunity," Hood said as he pulled out a power bar from his pocket. He lifted the bottom of his mask to the ridge of his nose and started to the snack.

"I'm not going to kill them," Batman responded. The box opened easy enough, since he slammed it against the plating of the Batmobile. The contained collapsed beneath the force and its contents spilled onto the ground. He scavenged through the medical supplies and picked up a small injection pen. Morphine. Finding some skin between his mask and his collar, injected the painkiller.

"Such a shame," Hood finished the power bar and threw the wrapper to the ground. Then he opened his legs shoulder-length apart and started to bend over to stretch out his back.

"Your descent into madness is a shame," Batman slowly stood up as the morphine took affect. His movements would be sluggish and his vision blurry, he would be able to fight, at least.

"Now that, Dick," Hood got onto his feet as well, "was not very nice." The two men started to circle each other like lions. They tried to size each other up. Batman remained silent and calm while Hood taunted him with gestures and quick motions. Then they both made their moves simultaneously. Hood pulled out smoke bombs as he charged forward while Batman used one of his batarangs. It made contact with the bombs, causing them to explode midair.

Hood made his way through the smoke quickly and found Batman on the other side of the smoke. He still had the edge over Batman when it came to speed due to Batman's injuries and the morphine, or so he thought. It was amazing how fast Batman was moving. Each punch and kick Hood threw at his predecessor was met with thin air.

Batman would side step him, duck and weave, and even deflect when needed to. He was always step ahead of his successor and he wasn't going to make it easy on him. Then Hood started to become desperate with every attack. Even though he had not been Robin for a very long time, he was still living in the shadow of Dick. Dick was always the better Robin and now he was going to be the better Batman. Jason didn't blame Dick for his own faults, but he still hated his former friend for being so good.

"Fight me," he roared when his latest punch was dodged. Batman responded by grabbing Hood's wrist with one hand and wrapped his other arm around Hood's bicep. With a quick turn of his body, Batman threw Hood to the ground. He attempted to dislocate Hood's shoulder but he quickly countered by kicking Batman in the ribs.

Batman cried in pain and instantly released Hood's arm. He fell to his knees, grabbing his side tightly. Even though the morphine helped keep the pain to a minimum, it didn't help this time. His was close to breaking and he wasn't sure how much more punishment he could take. Bruce would have never let this happen. Hood would have been put down by now and in police custody. But he wasn't Bruce, nowhere close: he was merely a last-minute replacement.

"I think we're done, for now at least." Hood swung his right around in circles, trying to loosen it up.

"What are you talking about?" Batman tried to regain control of his breathing. Each breath he took, he felt closer to collapsing. The only way to stay conscious was to breath oxygen, but the pain of his chest expanding was driving him over the edge. Either way, he lost.

"Well, I was only sent here to deliver a message, but I wanted to have some fun with my former brother." Hood walked towards him. He basked in his victory as he stood over his battered and defeated opponent.

"And what message would that be?" Batman looked into Hood's eyes, but they lacked any emotion. Even though Hood was enjoying his victory, his eyes remained lifeless. It was haunting and amazing for a man like him to be full with hate and rage to have such eyes.

"This time around, I'm a hired gun." Hood squatted so his face would be leveled with Batman's face.

"A hired gun?" As demented and perverse Hood's logic was, he would never work for a "villain." He became evil to destroy evil, but he never thought Hood would take orders from someone else.

"I'm just working for the bad guy so I can get closer to take him out myself." Hood tapped his temple—his brain. "And this new baddie that's coming to town, he's like no one you ever met."

"Who is he?"

"Never met him," Hood stood back up. "I just know he's some guy from Hong Kong trying to set up shop in Gotham. He already sent some of his goons to start."

"The Scott kidnapping?" Batman asked. The pieces were still scattered, but his was starting to a form a picture, even though it didn't make any sense. At least he had a clue of what was happening, regardless of how small it was.

"Ding, we have a winner," Hood mocked. He took a few seconds to search his pockets and pulled out a small object. "He wanted me to give this to you." The object was dropped in front of him. It was a black knight piece from the game chess.

"Why did he have the girl kidnapped?" Batman was aware she was the daughter of a rising real estate tycoon, but he wanted to know what Hood knew.

"Oh, simple. He wanted to test the Bat-family. Also, he calls himself the White King. The guy loves irony." Hood spoke before Batman could ask. "And he wants to play a little game with Gotham's _best_. Also, one more thing…" Hood walked around and leaned forward so he could whisper into Batman's ear. "Your move." In that moment, Hood hit Batman in the back of head, knocking him unconscious. He then bent over to pick up Batman's communicator and pressed the "distress" button.


End file.
